DIY App Maker Launches New Platform

| May 23, 2014

Como™, the do-it-yourself app-creation platform, displayed the new Como Console at the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) international foodservice marketplace. With a redesigned look and feel, the revolutionized app maker provides an enhanced user experience that gives publishers an all-in-one solution for creating, promoting, and managing apps for all major mobile devices, with no coding required. Now restaurateurs—from family-owned establishments to national chains—can easily create and manage a custom app to integrate with their patrons’ mobile lifestyle and thrive in today’s mobile world.

With features such as in-app loyalty cards and coupons, Como provides eateries with a vital tool for building their mobile presence and driving discovery and customer loyalty. In fact, Como’s data show that businesses with apps featuring loyalty cards have seen a 250% growth in user stamps over the last three months, while 70% of app users with mobile loyalty cards get them stamped regularly.

Utilizing the potential of mobile apps to help restaurants succeed, the Como Console provides a variety of features to engage with customers and promote growth:

· Reviews—restaurateurs can let users share reviews directly through their apps using Yelp, Citysearch, and other guides.

· Maps and directions—a restaurant can set its app to display its exact location, allowing users to easily find the restaurant.

· Social feeds—Como lets publishers connect Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social networks to their apps.

· Photos—publishers can display photos by connecting with Picasa, Tumblr, Flickr, Facebook, Twitpic, and other platforms.

Since 2010, more than 600,000 apps have been created through Como’s platform, with over 3,500 new apps created every day. Over 70% of Como publishers are small and medium-sized businesses and restaurants. To date, Como publishers collectively engage over 10 million daily active users, as more publishers develop their own apps to maximize profitability and compete in today’s market.

According to Como’s usage data, the food industry segment makes up approximately 10% of the 600,000 Como-powered apps. Within this segment, the top app categories vary between states: Food and beverage lead in California (21% of food-related apps in the state); food and groceries lead in Florida (9% of food-related apps in the state); bars lead in Illinois (8% of food-related apps in the state); food and beverage lead in New York (10% of food-related apps in the state); and restaurants and cafes lead in Texas (13% of food-related apps in the state).